Like a prehistoric precursor to Abbott and Costello or Laurel and Hardy, Ogg and Bob show the ups and downs of friendship in an age of wooly mammoths and saber-tooth tigers. In their first book, the two discover a cheery blue mammoth that they immediately adopt and dub Mug. Mammoth care is not easy, however, and after covering basic training and sleep deprivation in book one, the companion title, Life With Mammoth (ISBN: 978-0-7614-5722-0), sees the two attempt to give their new pet a bath, engage in some cave art and determine who Mug’s best friend really is. The books straddle that fine line between early readers and early chapter books, offering very short chapters that still contain a lot of meat and action. Fraser’s art provides just the right tone, Ogg and Bob sporting permanent five-o’clock shadows in spite of their childlike natures. Certainly, it won’t take a mammoth lover to enjoy the hijinks of these sweet, ancient boneheads. (Fiction. 4-9)
